The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-04-30
THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
"REMINISCENCES OF APPLE BUTTER
MAKING AND FLANNEL KICKING"

Two Popular Customs which Prevailed
Among the Settlers Away Back-HOw
the Apple Butter was Made-FuIling
the Home Made Flannel.
81 have seen many newspaper accounts
recently of customs that prevailed among
the settlers away back, all Of them born
of necessity But there were two that
prevailed in Coshocton, the county ia
which l was raised, in the great old state
of Ohio, that seems to have been over
looked or probably entirely forgotten.
One of them was apple butter boiling and
the other was flannel kicking Talk about
the fun they had at apple cuttings, corn
huskings cuttings, etc, but for genuine,
uproarious fun flannel kicking would
knock them all out in one round. Every
new house had its old one, which was left
standing, generally in close proximity to
the new, which was used for all manner
of purposes The old fashione loom,
which almost every thrifty farmer pos
sessed, was set up there. The big broad
fireplace, 5 or 6 feet wide, with its big
crane on which to hang heavy kettles and
pots, was always in order and was used
when boiling the apple butter, a large
copper kettle always being used for the
purpose But few families could afford
the luxury of large copper kettle, conse-
quently one served large neighbOrhood,
going the rounds every apple butter sea-
son.
BOILING APPLE BUTTER.
ttThe log house was usually but one
large room. 1t took two couples to boil
apple butter-always two fellows with
their best girls. 1t required constant stir
ring, which was usually done with
q board about inches wide by
NIT
through it and handle about 4 feet long,
so that the fellow and his best girl could
handle it easily. While they stirred the
other couple were having a most delight
full time of In one corner of the ROOM
there being no light except dim, relig
ious one from the fire. OF course they
changed places quite frequently, Tor the
couple at the handle could not endure
that kind of thing for any length of time,
knowing what high old time the other
couple were having away of in the cor
ner. They were being deprived of their
opportunities. This thing usually lasted
all night, and as rule the little party
were not interrupted by meddlers, and
they had blissful season free from the
rude gaze of any one.
''But the browning glory, the boss fun,
was the flannel kicking. AS have before
stated, almost every old house had it's
-linsey woolsey, casinets and linen. ]
sigh for the days when used to wear this
home made linen. Pillow slips, sheets,
shirts, pants and short tailed roundabouts
all made off the same piece of goods.
There were no long tailed summer coats
in those days. This linen was stout, and
If boy or even good sized man caught
the seat of his pants on a splinter in climb
ing rail fence or on nail he hung there.
II inn
"The flannel was usually woven I'm
webs, or pieces of 80 or 40 yards, and of
course it had to be fuIled before it was in
proper condition to be made up into gar
ments. Pulling mills were thing almost
unheard of in that country at that
time, and some way must be devised to
thicken up or full the flannel, and they
many kicking" and my recollection of
them is as viviha as if it had occurred but
year ago.
A FLANNEL KICKING.
f'The boys and girls of the neighbor-
hOod-which took in a range of several
miles-Were notified that on a certain
evening they were going to have a flannel
kicking, and it needed no urging to gather
in enough to make up party. The flannel
was placed in loose pile in the middle of
the foor-usually in that same old log
house-chairs were placed around it,
forming a complete circle. The boys and
girls filed the chairs, and then a pillow
line or rope was passed around the out
side Of the chairs, drawn through the
backs, to hold them in position. OF course
the performers all faced toward the fan
mel. The boys, with their trowsers rolled
up above their knees; and the girls-weH,
the girls in those days were not incum-
bered with as much toggery as they wear
now.
:sSoapsuds-as hot as the operators
could possibly bear twas then poured
on the flannel, and then the fun com
menced in dead earnest, every one kick
ing the pile of flannel for dear hfe-the
boys laughing and yelling, the girls
screaming, and the soapsuds spirting up
and out in reckless prodigaIity. When |
the suds became absorbed and began to |
cool more hot suds were poured on, and |
then q fresh outburst of kicking and spirit
ing, laughing and screaming began, their
feet and legs looking as red as boiled lob
sters.
''This usually lasted about three hours,
the old folks pouring ON the hot soapsuds |
and looking and enjoying the thing about /
as much as the younger ones. 1t was rare |
fun, and the writer of this article remem-
bers it better than almost anything else in |
the way of parties In his young days OF |
course the work was not so well done as
1t is done nowadays in the mills, but it
the purpose, and everybody was
satisfied with it. Alas for the DAYS that
viii never come back, the days when all
these customs prevailed in Coshocton
county. &c alhanding'' in Chicago
Tribune.
VOLCANOES In Guatemala.
A report has been sent to the govern
L<~RC - =
strock, who was appointed tovisit Totoni-
capan, where volcanic disturbances have